Dr. Shiao Woo Born on October 1st, 1948 in Ipoh, Malaysia, Shiao Woo apparently did not cry after birth until the doctor turned him upside down and slapped his bottom. He went to kindergarten at age 4 and elementary school at age 5. Shiao jumped a year ahead in middle school because his father thought he was not being sufficiently challenged. Generally a happy kid, he learned to play the piano reasonably well and finished high school at the top of his class at age16. After 2 years of matriculation (college equivalent under the British system), Shiao was admitted to medical school (University of Malaya) for a 5-year program and skipped a year of pre-med. At the tender age of 23, Shiao graduated from medical school after doing a year of rotatory internship and 2 years of internal medicine. Dr. Woo then traveled to the United Kingdom in 1975 to take the internal medicine board (MRCP) and passed. He continued training and rotations at several Pediatric hospitals and gained an interest in Pediatric Oncology after meeting Dr. Lucius at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington D.C in 1978. Dr. Woo did a fellowship under Dr. Sinks, his first mentor, at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown. Once he passed the American Board of Pediatrics and the sub-board of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology he became an assistant professor at Georgetown in 1980. In 1981 he went with Dr Sinks to be an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston.
By 1985 Dr. Woo had decided to be re-trained in radiation oncology and went to a residency program for the third time at Stanford University Medical Center. There he met his second mentor, Dr. Sarah Donaldson with whom he became lifelong friends. In 1988 he passed the American Board of Radiology (Radiation Oncology) and moved to Houston to become an assistant professor in radiation oncology at the U.T.M.D.Anderson Cancer Center. After only a year, Dr. Woo was elected by the residents to be the residency training program director and won a residency teaching award in 1990. In 1991, Dr. Woo lifted the residency program at Baylor College of Medicine out of probation, became one of the earliest investigators in the country in the field of IMRT and became recognized as an expert in treating childhood cancers as well as brain tumors. In 1996, he was promoted to professor with tenure at the Baylor College of Medicine; in 2001 he was named an associate chairman in the Department of Radiology; in 2004, he was recruited by Dr. James Cox back to M.D.Anderson to be the professor and section chief of pediatric/CNS radiation oncology and the medical director of the Proton Therapy center.
Currently, Dr. Woo’s professional interests are in proton therapy research and mentoring young radiation oncologists. Dr. Woo met John Howard Shaw in 1995 and developed a long term loving relationship. The latest loves of his life are 2 cute miniature Dachshund Dapples (Basil, age 20 months; and Ginger Blu, age 14 months). He continues to enjoy playing the piano, traveling, great food and wine, reading and the company of interesting conversationalists.
Dr. Woo met Paul Palmer in 1989 at an asset protection seminar and Paul became one of his main financial advisors. After the forming of Cypress Advisory Services and the joining of Kurt Box about 6 years ago, Dr. Woo has moved his entire investment portfolio over to Paul and Kurt for management. They have built a trusting, cordial and mutually respectful relationship which will continue for years to come.
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